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Mohammed bin Salman, the prime minister and crown prince of Saudi Arabia, has revealed the Esports World Cup, which will take place in Riyadh in the summer of 2024. This is a significant disclosure. With this statement, the Esports scene is about to undergo a significant upheaval that will provide players with fierce competition and new chances everywhere.
The world-famous Esports competition known as Esports World Cup will replace the prestigious Gamers8 Esports tournament held in Saudi Arabia. Twenty varied tournaments including titles such as League of Legends, Fortnite, DOTA 2, FIFA 23, Rainbow Six Siege, PUBG Mobile, and Starcraft II were included in this year’s Gamers8. With a whopping $45 million in prize money, the event broke all previous records for Esports tournaments.
Although the Esports World Cup’s exact game titles are yet unknown, it is known that the competition will feature the most played games across a wide range of genres and have the largest prize fund in Esports event history.
Niko Partners’ “India Games Market Report 2023” reveals that 96.8% of Indian gamers use smartphones or tablets, making the country a mostly mobile-centric gaming industry. Indian Esports athletes are expected to experiment with a variety of video games due to the attraction of participating in a prestigious event with significant awards, which would ultimately benefit the Esports sector in the nation.
Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India and VP of Asian Esports Federation, stated, “The Esports World Cup is a historic moment for the global Esports community. This tournament will act as a catalyst for change and growth, not only on a global scale but in India as well.”
According to Gamers8 statistics from 2023, there were 1.3 billion viewers overall, peaking at one million concurrent users. There were 2.09 million views overall and 3.8 billion impressions. Major sponsors including Adidas, Pepsico, Aramco, Razer, and others attended the event as well.
The Esports World Cup is expected to surpass these numbers, providing Indian players competing in the competition with significant exposure. This is expected to draw in more funding from sponsors and venture capitalists, which would benefit Indian players as well as the society at large.
“Esports transcends borders and unites passionate gamers worldwide. With the Esports World Cup, the Indian Esports ecosystem is on the verge of a transformative journey,” said Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder of S8UL and Founder & CEO of 8Bit Creatives.
India’s esports scene has grown significantly in the last several years, and its players have had notable success in international tournaments. India’s expertise in the sphere of esports is demonstrated by its involvement in the Asian Games 2022 and the Commonwealth Esports Championships.
Plans for the Olympic Esports Games were revealed by IOC President Thomas Bach during the 141st session of the IOC, which was held in Mumbai. Saudi Arabia’s sponsorship of the Esports World Cup will provide Indian esports players with yet another international stage on which to showcase their abilities.
Mayank Prajapati, who represented India in Street Fighter V: Champion Edition at the Asian Games 2022, said, “The Esports World Cup has the potential to motivate Indian players to push their limits in various titles, expanding the talent pool and propelling the entire sector to newer heights.”